Long before any of us knew the phenomenal Samus Aran was actually a woman (shock and dismay!) she was still kicking butt and taking names, whether in 2D side-scrolling adventures or gorgeous third-person shooters with mammoth bosses and even bigger missions. Even when we see a completely different side of her, like in Metroid: Other M, we're still rooting for the baddest female adventurer of them all.